State of the Union: the Commission must return to the centre stage. Joseph Daul MEP, Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament

"The time has come for a response to the crisis which puts politics and Europe in the driving seat" - Joseph Daul MEP.

"We in Europe are living through a crisis of growth and a crisis of confidence, but most of all, we are going through a leadership crisis", said the Chairman of the EPP Group in a debate on the State of the Union with José Manuel Barroso.

Joseph Daul called on the President of the European Commission to get back to the 'centre stage' and propose an exit plan from the crisis which will inspire the Community method, not the intergovernmental method "which has proven once again that it is paralysing Europe."

"The Commission has a major role to play - the role of guarantor of the European general interest. Mr Barroso, I urge you to go beyond national interests and propose solutions which are both strong and rapid to get out of the current impasse", said the Chairman of the biggest parliamentary Group in the European Parliament.

Joseph Daul reiterated his appeal for a European big-bang, consisting of a common decision of budgetary, fiscal and social convergence. "Europeans can only support each other if they apply the same rules."

He also asked the Barroso Commission to finish the work started by the Delors Commission at the beginning of the 90s - the internal market.

"A European market which is truly integrated, notably in the services sector, will help us grow quicker. What are we waiting for?", continued Joseph Daul.

In the framework of a public/private partnership, the Chairman of the EPP Group finally appealed for the creation of an Erasmus Programme for first time workers, based on the university Erasmus Programme, and centres of excellence in the field of research and development and innovation.